The present invention is directed to improvements in applicators for applying lip products to the lips including lip stick or pomade type applicators.
There are many lip cosmetic and other lip products on the market. These may include, for example, lip gloss, lip sticks, lip balm and others. While some lip products may be applied by a finger or a brush from a container, many more are dispensed through the use of a lip applicator. Lip sticks are usually applied through the use of a lip applicator that has a receptacle for the stick of a lip product. The receptacle is usually a recessed member designed to hold a portion of one end of the lip stick. The remainder of the stick extends from the receptacle. The receptacle reposes in a mechanism for extending and retracting the lip stick from the applicator as product is to be used or to store the delicate stick when it is not being applied. There is also a cover over the applicator for further protecting the stick. In some instances the cover may be made of a clear material to permit the purchaser to be able to view the color of the stick.
One of the problems with lip sticks is that the stick can easily be damaged or break off if the proper care is not taken. Another problem with lip sticks arises when the user fails to return the stick to a recessed position after use. In these situations, the stick can become smudged, smashed or lose its shape if the cap is placed on the extended lip stick. When a lip stick is initially purchased, the stick is pre-shaped to a point or the stick is angled to permit the user to apply the lip stick in the desired manner. As time goes on, however, the lip stick, because it is relatively soft, has a tendency to lose the crisp point or angle it arrived with. As a result, it becomes more difficult for the user to obtain the clean lines that are usually sought. One effect of such abrasion is that the user either disposes of the product before it is completely used or attempts to reshape the tip.
Another issue with respect to lip sticks or pomades relates to color selection. Many consumers are very particular in selecting the color of their lipstick. Color is important for a number of reasons. One important factor in color selection is each person""s individual tastes. People have preferences for certain colors over others. One person may like one color more than another. A person may think that one color looks better than another on them. Skin coloring can also enter into the equation. One color may look better with one person""s skin tone but not another""s. Also, a fashion sense also becomes a factor. There are some colors that may be xe2x80x9cinxe2x80x9d at one point of time but not another.
Cosmetic companies try to inform the consumer of the color that a lipstick may have in a number of ways. One approach is to provide the lipstick applicator with a clear cover that permits the consumer to view the lipstick through the cover. Because lip stick applicators are not only a product dispenser but also can be a fashion accessory, a clear cover is not always desired by the manufacturer or the purchaser for many reasons including aesthetic or styling reasons. Another approach is to use a color sample on the package, on the applicator or elsewhere. While this gives the consumer some color information there are issues with the color card or sample. First, the color is printed on paper. Paper while reproducing the color to a certain extent does not identically match the color in the applicator. The difference caused by the paper can also be exacerbated depending on the type of paper the color is reproduced on. Depending on whether the paper has a matte finish or a glossy finish and what the background color is that the color swatch has around it the eye may perceive a difference between the color on the paper and the actual color of the product in the package. Some manufacturers attempt to avoid this discrepancy by permitting the user to remove the cap and see the actual product contained therein. While this solves the color selection concern there are other sometimes more serious issues caused by this approach. The manufacturer runs the risk that the consumer does more than just view the product and actually samples it by applying it to the lips. For some reason, many consumers after sampling the product in this manner do not purchase the specific item sampled but rather pick an unused one to purchase. Permitting the consumer to have access to the product can raise very serious safety concerns due to the risk of product tampering. Also, when the consumer has access to the product in the store, there is also the possibility that the product can become contaminated from the use. Even apart from these issues, when the product is available in this manner, the consumer is not always careful in replacing the cap, retracting the product into the applicator prior to replacing the cap, etc.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lip applicator.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lip applicator that has an applicator portion that provides accurate application of lip product to the lips.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a lip applicator in which the applicator portion retains its shape over use.
It is another object of the invention to provide a lip applicator that has a viewing window in the cap to permit the purchaser to view the contents of the product without opening the product.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a lip applicator that has a unique dispensing system.
It is an object of the invention to provide a lip applicator with a unique tip for applying lip product.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved applicator surface that permits the lip product to be applied in a smooth manner as if it were a traditional stick of lip product or a pomade.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a lip applicator the permits the consumer to see the quantity of lip product present in the applicator at the time of purchase and during use.
The present invention is directed to an improved lip applicator that has a body and a cap for protecting the lip product in the applicator. The cap may be provided with one or more windows to permit viewing of the color of the lip applicator. If desired, the window may be on one side of the cap, on two opposite sides of the cap or in other areas as desired. For those instances where the window is on both sides of the cap the two window sections may be individual windows or the windows may be joined by a top window portion that extends across the top surface of the cap. The window may be made of any suitable material such as a clear plastic such as a glycol modified polyethylene-terephthalate polymer material (PETG) or other clear material. The applicator of the present invention may be used to dispense lip products or any other products that have a creamy or pasty consistency including but not limited to concealer and eye shadow.
The base of the body may be provided with an opening to receive a top portion of a fragrance container. The fragrance container is secured into the base by a cap member that receives the top of the perfume dispenser and seals the perfume container. Other cosmetic or other containers can be substituted for the perfume container. For example, there may be a bottle of nail polish, face cream, lip gloss, eye shadow, eye liner, powder, cream and others.
The body of the applicator may be a hollow tube, open at both ends. An open end on the bottom of the body conveniently permits insertion of the remainder of the lip applicator into the body as well as permitting filling of the applicator with lip product through that end. An end piece may be applied over the open end when assembly or filling is completed.
A product reservoir is positioned within the body and is preferably a generally hollow member having a round side wall and a tip. At the open end of the reservoir there is positioned a drive means for driving product from the applicator to be applied to the user""s lips. The drive means may be a disk that is usually outside of the reservoir and preferably secured within the body of the applicator. Extending from one side of the disk is a support member that extends from the side of the disk that is opposite the base of the body. The support member can either be integral with the disk or a separate member therefrom. If it is a separate member, it should be secured to the disk in some fashion. The support member is inserted into the open end 33 of the reservoir.
The support member provides an anchoring means for the screw means. The screw means is a threaded rod that has one end embedded in or secured to the support member and the other end free within the reservoir. Riding on the screw means is a driving member which is a round disk-like member that has the screw means pass through generally the center thereof. The driving member receives the threads of the screw means and rides upwardly or downwardly on the threads as the body of the applicator is turned. To prevent the driving member from merely turning in response to the motion of the body and not traveling in the reservoir, the interior wall is preferably provided with a guide member that extends from the wall of the reservoir along at least a portion of its length and mates with a recess along the edge of the driving member. The travel of the driving member upwardly forces product within the reservoir to be dispensed.
Adhered to a portion of the circumference of the reservoir is a turning collar or A-shell which is connected to the reservoir by a suitable means and provides an area where the user of the lip product holds the applicator to prevent the reservoir from turning as the body is being turned. The turning collar or A-shell may be provided with a window permitting the purchaser to view the product""s color and to also determine the amount of product remaining in the reservoir. The window may be a strip of clear material such as PETG or other clear material.
The reservoir has a tip that is preferably tapered and is provided with a tear drop shaped face. The face is also preferably slightly concave along both the vertical and horizontal axes to permit lip product to be retained on the face when it is discharged from the reservoir. The face is preferably provided with a plurality of canals or channels for receiving lip product. In a preferred embodiment the channels or canals are arranged such that there is perimeter canal that traces the edge of the face, a first vertical canal that extends downwardly from the orifice. The first vertical canal may be crossed by first and second horizontal canals. The perimeter canal keeps applicator clean and prevent lip product from spilling down the sides.
The cap prevents contamination of the product when the applicator is not in use. Where the cap meets the body there may be a skirt or trim ring. The interior of the cap is provided with a plug which is inserted into the orifice in the tip to prevent product from being expelled during storage and to protect the product from contamination when not in use. The plug may be tapered. The plug may also keep the product applicator airtight to prevent damage to the product.